The Cicero-North Syracuse High School Marching Band also secured a top spot: They will be near the front of the parade with the grand marshal, former New York Senator George Mitchell. They won't be far behind New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The parade - which will be streamed on NBCNewYork.com -starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until about 5 p.m., snaking its way up from 45th Avenue to 88th Street.

Nearly the entire marching band - or around 100 members - will perform a Celtic-inspired routine in the parade. Their uniforms and flags feature a green and gold Celtic knot against a white background, said Karen Seamans, the band's director.

The routine, which uses a "traditional Irish piece," was first performed at a competition in the Carrier Dome last November, Seamans said. She said the band leaders chose the song because it was something new and the audience would recognize the Celtic feel and sound.

It was in the dome that a leader from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade saw the band perform.

Joe Haneman, chairman of bands and music for the parade, was in Syracuse because his grandson plays in a marching band that was competing in the dome. He said he first "saw then heard" the Northstars and knew they would be a good fit for the New York City parade.

"These are good kids that worked very hard to get where they are," said Haneman, 85, who's helped lead numerous New York City parades for more than 30 years. "This is the largest parade in the world. To be in a parade like this, I just hope it doesn't give the kids stage fright."

The band headed down to New York City early this morning. Viewers watching the parade might be able to catch them on camera by around noon, said a spokesman from the parade.

Aside from performing in the Rose Bowl, Seamans said the band has never performed in a parade as big as the St. Patrick's Day event in NYC. The event has around 50,000 participants involved, not including the spectators, she said.

"I don't think they're going to get how big it is until they get down there," Seamans said. "It's something they'll remember their whole life."